AstraZeneca partners with Primary Health Care to help Iowa uninsured

AstraZeneca (NYSE: AZN) announced today that it will provide free medication to eligible patients through Primary Health Care in Des Moines, under one of the company’s prescription savings programs.

The AZ&Me Prescription Savings program for healthcare facilities provides medicines free of charge to community free clinics, community health centers, hospitals and other qualifying facilities that serve patients without prescription drug coverage. This enables patients to quickly get the medicines they need, often at the same place they receive their medical care.

“AstraZeneca believes it is important to help those who need our medicines,” said Jennifer McGovern, Director, Patient Assistance Programs, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP. “We understand that our medicines don’t do patients any good if they cannot access them.”

In 2008, AstraZeneca provided $8.6 million in savings to more than 5,400 patients in Iowa. Nationally, the company helped more than 440,000 patients save $612 million on their medicines.

Primary Health Care is a nonprofit community health center dedicated to providing healthcare and supportive services for people in Central Iowa to improve their quality of life. In 2008, Primary Health Care served nearly 22,300 patients by providing more than 70,000 medical, dental and mental health visits to residents of Polk and Marshall Counties. Of those served by Primary Health Care, 55 percent are uninsured.

“At Primary Health Care, we believe that everyone is entitled to quality health care regardless of their financial status,” said Kelly Huntsman, Executive Director, Primary Health Care. “Through our collaboration with AstraZeneca, we will be able to provide solutions for the uninsured in Iowa, creating accessibility to medications that are critical to their health.”

The AZ&Me Prescription Savings program for healthcare facilities is available to non-profit organizations that have a licensed outpatient pharmacy or dispensary on site and meet other program criteria. Patients are eligible for AstraZeneca medicines through this program if they do not have prescription drug coverage and have a household income at or below $30,000 for an individual, or $60,000 for a family of four.

With this program, AstraZeneca builds on its more than 30-year history of helping patients afford the medicines they need.

To learn if your organization qualifies for the AZ&Me Prescription Savings program for healthcare facilities, please call 1-866-325-8198. Program specialists are available Monday through Friday between the hours of 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM EST.

Prescription savings programs are available regardless of which medications your doctors prescribe. To find out more about the more than 475 savings programs covering 2,500 medications, please visit www.pparx.org or call 1-888-4PPA-NOW (1-888-477-2669).

About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca is engaged in the research, development, manufacturing and marketing of meaningful prescription medicines and in the supply of healthcare services. AstraZeneca is one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies with global healthcare sales of $ 31.6 billion and is a leader in gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, neuroscience, respiratory, oncology and infectious disease medicines. In the United States, AstraZeneca is a $13.5 billion dollar healthcare business.

For more information about AstraZeneca in the US or our AZ&Me™ Prescription Savings programs, please visit: www.astrazeneca-us.com.

About Primary Health Care, Inc. (PHC)

PHC has been providing medical, dental and support services to the underserved since 1981. PHC offers a full spectrum of medical and dental services, including family practice, adult medicine, pediatrics, OB, mental health, oral medicine, pharmacy, lab and x-ray. Each clinic provides preventive services, such as immunizations and screenings. PHC specializes in caring for the underserved and homeless.

The timeline of steady growth for PHC includes: 1988-Health Care for the Homeless; 1991-Ryan White HIV care; 1998-Maternal Child Programs in partnership with the State of Iowa and later Healthy Start; 2000-Housing Advocacy via HUD (Housing and Urban Development) funding; 2001-new site in Marshalltown; 2002-Relocation from Broadlawns Medical Center to 2353 SE 14th Street; 2003-East Side Clinic; 2004-Community Access Pharmacy; 2005-new dental unit in Marshalltown; 2007-Des Moines dental clinic expansion, and both East Side and South Side service expansions. Our premiere project for 2008-2009 is the relocation of the Outreach Clinic. For more information about PHC, please visit www.phcinc.net

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